Magic Lizard Tweet-Along

Thai filmmaker Sompote Sands’ Magic Lizard has rapidly become something of a legend among those of us for whom such things are prone to becoming legends. Not quite on the level of Shaitani Dracula perhaps, but an experience in deep and scarring pain never the less. I’d seen this movie damage even some of the stoutest viewers of global cult cinema. So when it finally came time for me to watch it, considering it had already been reviewed properly by Die Danger Die Die Kill, WtF Film, and Ninja Dixon, as well as discussed on the Infernal Brains podcast, I thought I might try something a little different. And so I enlisted The Cultural Gutter to partake in a coordinated viewing with me, with our reactions being recorded via Twitter as we were in different states and I was too lazy to try and set up some sort of Skype thing. To sweeten the experience, we would be joined by a couple people already bearing the Magic Lizard Red Badge of Courage — Die Danger Die Die Kill and WtF Film — to act as Sompote Sands sherpas.

I wanted Ninja Dixon in on the fun too, since he’s one of the only people in the world who actually seems to have a somewhat positive attitude toward Magic Lizard. Weirdly, though, he was unavailable — because he was on his way to Thailand to meet the maker of Magic Lizard! If you need some background information on Sompote Sands and the bizarre monster movies he makes, I suggest you read 4DK’s retrospective on the man and his career. What follows is not a review per se, and it may not make sense if you aren’t watching along. But then, nothing about Magic Lizard makes much sense, and so I offer up unto you, for whatever degree of amusement you may squeeze out of the blood stone, the raw, unedited transcripts of our Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of Sompote Sands’ #MagicLizard.

@WtfFilm
80 minutes left to reminisce on how wonderful my life was before I watched #MagicLizard… Again.

@CulturalGutter
I should decide who I will be leaving my vintage 70s coats to in case I don’t come back from this assignment.

@FOURDK
Plus side: You cannot contract any known diseases from watching #MagicLizard – which is the only thing that could make it worse.

@WtfFilm
Coincidentally, something I never thought I’d live to hear myself say: “I have to find my copy of #MagicLizard ”

hey man, love the reviews. I noticed that Norwegian Ninja and Troll Hunter don’t appear ? the a to z search. Maybe I’m doing something wrong. It’s just that I love the reviews and worry that there may be other great reviews hiding around somewhere that I am missing out on the pleasure of reading. watched Norwegian. Ninja last night and loved it. Constant amusement sums it us nicely.

Thanks. Checked the A-to-Z and both films are in there. It’s nto the easiest to read list, though, so it’s pretty easy to miss titles as they all blend in with each other. Man, now I just want to go watch Norwegian Ninja again.

I had the pleasure to meet Sompote twice during my trip and I also visited his studio. Great guy, very nerdy and very clever – believe it or not.

Anyway, he gave me the background to why Magic Lizard exists: Japanese television wanted a hysterical comedy and they gave Sompote money to do it. Even he thinks the movie is very absurd and silly, and that “the Japanese has a very special kind of humor” :)

Thanks for the reply man. The review you put up played a big part in my desire to watch it. so many great moments. The echoes during The mountain fight were a nice touch. Watched Black Dynamite soon after. Seems like a film that might be up your street. Afros, nunchucks and Kung Foo treachery.